Implicit Ambivalence: A Driving Force to Improve Relationship Problems

Implicit ambivalence involves holding strong positive and negative implicit evaluations toward the same object. This state is common in close relationships because even most satisfying partnerships involve conflicts other frustrating experiences that can be explained away through effortful motivated reasoning yet remain memory as mental representations involving partner. In fact, it appears normative for measures of partner attitudes to reveal ambivalence. Despite being common, however, little known about consequences The present longitudinal investigation provides initial evidence motivate relationship improvements. Across two studies newlywed couples ( N = 448 individuals), multilevel dyadic modeling revealed higher was associated with motivation make efforts improve current marital problems, which predicted reduced marital-problems severity reported by increased satisfaction both spouses 4 months later.